Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Semana Santa

I've got another HUGE post in the works about adventures in Spain and France with Dan, but about 2 weeks ago was Semana Santa here in Spain and I guess you could say it's a pretty big deal here in Sevilla, so I had to post something about it.

The Semana Santa celebration here in Spain is probably one of the most popular in the world, if not the biggest and most popular. Some people love it, while others just can't stand it and have to get out of the country for the week. Emma and I are probably in the middle... We got out of the country for a little bit and then came back to see some of the celebration.

If you were a foreigner (like us..) and you have never seen Semana Santa, you have to see it at least once. There is nothing like it that I've ever seen... but on the other hand, if you live in the city center like us and you want to go somewhere really fast.. it ain't gonna be happenin... What normally takes 5 minutes ends up taking 30 minutes because of the crowds. We see both sides of the story.

Of course the thing everyone notices are the "Nazareños." or as us foreigners would say.. the KKK. If you think about it, it's kinda interesting... You take a white blanket or robe and throw a pointy hat on top and you have 1 important symbol that represents 2 completely different things.... Religion or Racism.

Due to tradition and a belief system, both cultures see 2 totally different things. When I look at the guys in purple, or green, or white... regardless of the color and thanks to American history... the first silly thought that comes to mind is "racists." When someone from Spain or another Catholic country outside the U.S. sees this symbol they might see a uniting "brotherhood" or right of passage passed down through hundreds of years.

Either way, this year there weren't many KKK/Nazarenos hanging out in processions and accompanying the "pasos" (the floats with the virgin Mary or Jesus carried by people) this year for Semana Santa. This Semana Santa was dubbed one of the worst in recent years because it rained practically allllllllllll week long... Rain = no semana santa. Out of 6 or 7 days of what could have been 50 or more processions, we saw 1...... and we didn't even know it was there until we turned the street corner... So here it is. enjoy.